The Bayern Basketball team has begun preparations for the BBL playoffs which start next Tuesday at the Audi Dome. But ahead of the first two quarterfinal home games next week against BG Goettingen (May 16, 20:30 & May 18, 18:00), we spoke to head coach Andrea Trinchieri about the state of the team.
Coach, the regular BBL season is over, and Bayern finished third in the standings. What is your conclusion after 34 games and what are your thoughts on the playoffs?
Andrea Trinchieri:"Well, we finished third, two teams were better than us. But when we really had to be there - in the cup - we were there. Of course, now our three experienced players in Lucic, Hunter and Rubit are out injured for the playoffs. No one knows how we're going to react to that, and we've had a weird month playing without the stress of having to get a win. It was complicated because we already had 70 games behind us and now we had to play these last ones without several players. That's why we tried to rest others."
The last few losses no longer matter?
"No, and if the result had been a priority, we wouldn't have left players out of the lineup. Of course, nobody wants to lose, nobody. But when you have a season like this with injuries like this, yes, in the end, players fear getting injured, too."
"The championship is the only goal"
Among others, Weiler-Babb and Gillespie were rested, since they were banged up after the Goettingen game. What is their status?
"They will both be back. I don't know exactly when, but they will be there."
How do you assess the absence of your captain Lucic?
"I think I want to go home after the first week of playoffs . . . No, seriously, there's no question like that for me. And the coach can't designate anyone right now to step up and be a leader for him. I think that's what the game will tell us. There is now a role to take on and whoever feels ready for it, we'll be very happy to give it to them. But we have enough players to do it, whereas of course for that role you have to do some extra things for the team."
You are facing Goettingen in the quarterfinals, what do you have to say about the opponent?
"A good team. We beat them once in the first matchup, they beat us in the second. This team can score, they are driven by the guards and they take a lot of threes. It will be very important to start the series well: We should just play without overthinking."
The outside world is already thinking about next season, do such rumors occupy everyday life?
"Well, mine isn't. My daily work is going on, and things like that are part of the business, after all. It's never good when things leak out. But I don't read about it anyway and don't deal with it - my only focus is to do the best I can with my team, 100 percent."
The playoffs are played in 2-2-1 mode, does the format suit you?
"In any case, it is the format that is played the most. It was funny to have a 1-1-1-1 last season (in the finals). The amount of traveling really is a problem. But in our current situation, we shouldn't think further than the first game against Goettingen anyway."
The goal is still the championship?
"Of course, the championship is the only goal we have, that's the only thing we're here for."